1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for automatically unloading device in handler, and more particularly to an apparatus for automatically unloading device in handler which fills empty sleeves with devices, such as IC chips, sorted by a tester of an apparatus for loading and unloading sleeves for an integrated circuit tester and unloads the sleeves filled with devices according to characteristics of devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a handler for testing and sorting devices produced by a progress of work comprises a loader section for sequentially loading sleeves filled with devices, a conveyer section for sequentially conveying the sleeves loaded on the loader section, a supplying section for supplying the devices in the sleeves positioned on the conveying section, a head section for reversing the devices supplied from the supplying section, a tester section for testing quality of the devices, a sorter section for sorting the devices tested by the tester section, and an unloader section for unloading the devices sorted by the sorter section.
Such kind of handler is in detailed disclosed in U.S. patent Ser. No. 07/866,275 Apr. 13, 1992 by the present applicator. Therefore, there is no need to describe a whole handler and thus only an unloader for devices related to the present invention will be described hereinafter.
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a known an apparatus for unloading device in handler. In the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a multitray 23 for unloading tested devices 22 is fixedly mounted on an installing plate 21. The multitray 23 is provided thereon with solenoids 25 each having a stopper pin 24 exposed to a corresponding track, the number of the solenoids 25 being equal to that of the tracks. A sliding block 27 is slidably mounted on a pair of guide shafts 28 under the solenoids 25 to transfer empty sleeves 26 to the multitray 23 and unload sleeves filled with devices.
Operation of the apparatus for unloading device in handler mentioned above will be now described.
Upon actuating a cylinder 29 mounted on the sliding block 27, a sleeve clamp 30 mounted on the sliding block 27 grips empty sleeve 26 and is moved to the multitray 23 along the guide shafts 28 by actuation of the cylinder 29. Thereafter, when the sleeve clamp 30 arrives at one of the tracks on which a certain number of devices 22 are loaded, the solenoid 25 is actuated by a separate sensor.
Therefore, the stopper pin 24 fixed to the solenoid 25 blocking the devices 22 loaded on the multitray 23 rises against a compression spring 31 by actuation of the solenoid 25. After the stopper pin 24 has been raised, the devices 22 on the multitray 23 are inserted into the empty sleeve 26 due to their own weights because the apparatus for unloading devices is inclined at a certain angle with respect to a horizontal plane.
After the empty sleeve 26 has been filled with the devices 22, the sliding block 27 is moved to a storage box (not shown) and then the sleeve clamp 30 mounted on the sliding block 27 releases the sleeve 26 filled with the devices 22, thereby allowing the sleeve 26 to fall into the storage box. Thereafter, the operation described above is carried out repeatedly.
However, the above-mentioned known apparatus for unloading device requires output signals in the same number as that of tracks mounted on the multitray 23 in order to control the solenoids 25 each having the stopper pin 24.
In addition, since there must be used a plurality of expensive solenoids 25 with accordance to the number of the tracks of the multitray 23, a manufacturing cost is increased.